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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mark — a trace
  4. degree — an amount
  5. face — to point toward
  6. can — a tin
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. degree — temperature
  18. prune — to trim
  19. can — a tin
  20. stock — shares
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com